A headless statue believed to be of ancient goddess Aphrodite was recently discovered during construction work for the Thessaloniki metro in the heart of Macedonia’s city.
The statue was unearthed in the area of Agia Sofia, with findings also including floor mosaics of the 4th century AD.
The discovery was announced on social media by the chairman of Attiko Metro, Yannis Mylopoulos, who posted the picture of the statue. According to Mylopoulos 300,000 antiquities have been unearthed during archaeological excavations so far at the metro site in Thessaloniki.
According to Voria.gr website, archaeologists believe the multi-coloured mosaics belong to either a large public building complex or urban villas, which are in good condition and are typical geometric decorations, adorning the floor of the west portico gallery.
Apart from the floors, wall ruins and part of a bath that was in the complex have been saved. From the excavations that are still in progress, it turns out there was also a tank that supplied the bath with water. Glass fragments at the site likely belong to bottles with aromatic oils applied by the bathers.
It is estimated that the complex was used until the 5th century and was wrecked while the marble-lined square was built on top.
